Multiplying Amaryllis

 I so enjoyed watching the amaryllis grow and bloom last Christmas and winter. I told my husband that would be a good gift for me this year, too. He looked around but told me he could not find any like he had given me before.

As I entered Martin's yesterday and passed through the florist section, I spotted two amaryllis. I decided that if I really wanted one, I should buy one of these before they were all sold. Instead of sitting on a board, this little amaryllis wore a knitted "sweater". I set it on the table in the sunroom and left for an appointment in Fort Wayne. My husband was with a gentleman from Andrews University talking about some of the work he had done years ago with its archaeological digs. He was over on the main retirement campus.

While I was away, my husband returned and saw the plant I had purchased. He had finally found one on a board like last year and was hiding it in the garage. He decided he might as well let it join the one I had bought so it could get some light. I was totally surprised.

That white stuff on the ground and trees is snow. We got some early this morning and will see more throughout the day. Probably about an inch total. As long as it doesn't create travel problems for people coming for the big football game in South Bend tonight between Notre Dame and Indiana University, everybody is OK with a little snow today.

Christmas concert

The Grace Village choral choir presented its Christmas concert last night. The program is about an hour long.

To view it on a larger screen, you can use this link: 12/13/24-Friday GV Choir Concert

Two Surprises

We received a box of gourmet chocolates from my husband's sister. This gift was totally unexpected as we have not been exchanging Christmas gifts. This candy is made in Madison, Wisconsin, apparently at a little shop my sister-in-law passes frequently. Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier included a small pamphlet describing each chocolate which has a distinctive look. What a nice surprise.

 My second surprise today was not so nice. When I got up this morning, it was 7 degrees. With some wind blowing, it was going to be terribly cold going to the dentist office. I had a cavity to be drilled and filled. The last time I had a cavity was probably 30 years ago. The dental assistant told me that the filling material was some kind of resin. The numbing and anesthetic shot were not as painful as I was expecting. But as the numbness started wearing off while I ate lunch, I realized I had a fat lip; well to be precise, a swollen half lip. It may be that I injured it while eating. I did not notice it when I left the dental office, but I really did not look at myself in a mirror until it felt funny while eating.

(The purple spot on the bottom lip is a venous lake caused by sun damage to the capillary walls.) I hope the swelling goes down by 7 p.m. tomorrow. I do not consider myself a vain person, but I am going to feel self-conscious on the front row of the choir with a misshapen lip as we present our Christmas concert, especially when I go to the mic to read the words to one of the songs before we sing it. 

Once my mouth feels more normal, I am going to dive into one of those luscious dark chocolates.

Father Christmas

 When I lived in the Dallas area, one of my acquaintances had dozens of Santa Claus figures in her house. I had not a single one. If I were to have a gift giver character on display, it would be Father Christmas in his velvet robe not a red-suited Santa. I saw one at an estate sale attractively priced, but I decided to remain focused on the Christ child.

I was maybe 6 or 7 before I realized that my Christmas stocking was filled by my mom. That didn't keep me from putting out my stocking each year. Usually, a big orange or apple filled the toe. Most of the earlier years, there was a box of See's Molasses Chips, a "book" of life saver rolls in many flavors, a candy cane. Sometimes barrettes or socks or pencils. Later a tube of lipstick. Yes, I put the stocking out even in my teens.

The only stocking I remember was made by an aunt. I was pre-school which makes that item about 70 years old. It has faded some, lost a little watch that sat on the tree, and a few decades ago a hungry moth or cricket in Texas ate a hole, fortunately on the back side. I now store it in a cedar chest. I sewed the bell back on the deer, but it hangs a bit loosely. This felt stocking serves as a decoration, not a receptacle for gifts. It is full of memories though.

 

Getting Ready for the Changes

 As the garage door went up for me to step through, there in the driveway sat the landscaper in his cart surrounded by the rose bush trimmings he had just finished cutting. I was going out to my front porch to bring in the rocking chair cushions. It has been a lovely though windy day (60's), but changes are coming. Thursday we probably won't even get to 40 degrees and rain mixed with snow is in the forecast. Certainly, no more porch-sitting days for months ahead.

I can't believe my geranium still has blossoms this late in the year. It is the only thing to add color to the front of the house now. Behind it is the pruned rose bush. The geranium blooms aren't the only things hanging around later than usual. The ladybugs are out in full force again mingling with the leaves swirling around on the porch. 

I do still have my fall wreath on the front door which gives a touch of color, too. The ornamental pear trees still have leaves which look pretty against the blue afternoon sky. I have been in a happy mood today. Sometimes we just need to soak up the sunlight and notice the gifts God has given to us. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.

Tomato Bombs

 As I walked thru Martin's grocery store Wednesday to buy some orange juice, I noticed some small tomatoes on sale. 

Bombs an interesting description. These are the best small tomatoes, even better than some I have purchased at farmers' markets. They are juicy and so sweet. I hope the store stocks them frequently.

We continue to have mild weather. My Home Chef order arrived this afternoon. We will have the trout tonight, the chicken tomorrow. I chose from the Sheet pan category so not much attention needed once in the oven. Home Chef has lots of interesting dishes, but some require a lot of prep and attention. Not these two.

Sisters of Sinai

 When I worked in the library at Dallas Theological Seminary, I would hear people mention a codex or manuscript of early Biblical texts. I knew they existed but little else. I also saw the term palimpsest but never took the time to find to what that referred. Now I know thanks to Agnes and Margaret.

I recently read The Sisters of Sinai : how two lady adventurers discovered the hidden Gospels by Janet Soskice. Agnes and Margaret Smith were born in Scotland in 1843. With the death of their mother within weeks of their birth, their father took over their nurture. John Smith's ideas about the raising and educating of girls was quite different from the average home of that time. His daughters received excellent schooling in a coed school. They showed facility for learning languages and studied modern European ones as well as classic ones like Greek. He promised to take them to countries that spoke the languages they learned as an incentive. He soon found himself planning numerous trips.

Mr. Smith died when the twins were 23 years old. He had inherited money and also invested funds that made him a very rich man. This money allowed the women to travel to the Middle East. Margaret became an expert in Arabic; Agnes conquered Syriac. They had no college degrees as most universities would not grant them to females. When they finally lived in Cambridge, they attended some classes with permission but with no hope of a degree. They did become acquainted with scholars of Biblical manuscripts. 

As staunch Presbyterians, they decided to use their riches to explore some manuscripts they had been told were housed at the monastery on Mount Sinai. These manuscripts were purported to be earlier than the ones that had been used to make the Bible editions they read. They wanted to defend the Bible in a time of criticism. They each had married and been widowed; they were in their fifties as they set out on this project. 

Travel to the Ottoman Empire and Egypt was not for the faint-hearted. Reliance on dragoman for providing supplies and personnel had risks. They slept in tents and rode camels through the desert. The scholar who told them about the manuscripts on Mount Sinai had made a good impression on the librarian and monks. This enabled the twins to find gracious reception in their pursuit. It also helped that they spoke modern Greek, the language of Saint Catherine monastery. They hauled with them photographic equipment which they had to learn to use. 

Agnes was the one to recognize that one of the manuscripts she handled that was dirty with the pages stuck together was a palimpsest. The scribes would scrape down vellum that had text to reuse the vellum on another text. The lives of women saints definitely had beneath it Syriac Biblical New Testament text peeking through. It proved to be older than other known existing manuscripts of the New Testament. 

When Agnes returned to England, she shared the photographs of the texts with other academic scholars who specialized in the field and languages. Agnes and Margaret and these scholars and spouses returned to Sinai. There was a lot of jockeying to gain glory and reknown and to leave out the importance and contributions of the sisters to the successful trip. The transcription and translation of the main manuscript was to be a joint effort, but there was secrecy and competition. 

In spite of the challenges, the Codex palimpsestus Sinaiticus was printed and was seen as an important contribution to the understanding of early New Testament texts. 

The twins were a bit eccentric especially as they aged. They lived together as specified in their father's will. They owned an auto but did not use it on Sundays because their chauffeur was to have a day of rest. They could be seen in their fur coats walking to the Presbyterian Church. Presbyterians were considered oddities in the Anglican university town of Cambridge anyway.

 They acknowledged that their travels and findings were due to God's provision of funds they inherited and a gift of grasping and learning languages, but they did want some credit for their work and investments. Little was given in Britain. They did receive some honorary degrees from some European universities.

Reading of the bulky camera equipment and the discovery and use of a smelly reagent that brought out the hidden texts reminded me of our acquaintance Dan Wallace of Dallas Theological Seminary. He founded The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts. He has very sophisticated digital photographic equipment, but the task of making connections with the guardians of manuscripts and placating their whims is as tricky as it was for the Sinai Sisters.

Pay Attention Before It Is Too Late

 We are having somewhat unusual weather for the end of October. High of 78 today. With the warmth came the wind. By the end of the week, we will have many bare limbs. 

 

 The photo on top (or left depending on your display) was taken October 22nd. The bottom/right photo was taken today October 29th.

We have lots of birds at the feeder now. I tried to sneak up and photograph them through the patio door. Finally, a downy woodpecker sat long enough for me to get a picture, but since this was right after we finished lunch, the dining room lights reflected on the glass.

 

I took a brief walk to snap a picture of the tree with the falling leaves. I noticed bark had fallen off part of the trunk, and there was a "hole". Where the gray-green bark starts again crawled a ladybug.

When I arrived home Friday afternoon from the hospital, I noticed that I had one unopened rose bud on the bush despite several frosty nights. Hope it opens fully inside in the vase.

I had some pelvic organ repair surgery Thursday morning. I had lots of post-op nausea, but once that was under control around 5:30 p.m. I ordered supper via the phone: a glass of milk, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a chocolate chip cookie. I was told I could not have the cookie because of my diet restriction. Turns out that when I visited a gynecologist in July, his nurse added to my allergy list that I was allergic to caffeine. What? The next morning when the supervisory nurse dropped by and asked if she could get me anything, I jokingly mentioned the cookie. She was able to remove the restriction on the computer, but I stuck with the apple crisp I had ordered for lunch. Not being able to eat chocolate would be a catastrophe in my world. 

I have a little less pain today though I am still sitting gingerly. One of my neighbors brought us some homemade beef barley and vegetable soup. I feel up to opening a can and heating soup, but this was delicious and a very caring thing to do. Phone calls, emails, and a get-well-soon card also were encouraging. I am just taking it easy with mostly frozen items to be prepared for supper. My husband is helping out there though I have been able to do some preparation.

I have a lifting restriction so I bought Tide pods so I do not have to use the heavy liquid detergent container. I also was told not to drive for two weeks. I missed Monday Bible study and choir practice, but I did not feel ready to resume those anyway. I think next Monday I will try to attend both. 

My husband is Mr. Fix-It right now. The man who directs the theater productions at Grace College lives in our neighborhood and has asked for help to fix things previously. Now it is a rocking chair used as a prop that needs repair. The Grace Village landscaper also called and needs something built. Handy to have a good woodworker around. 

Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum Train Ride

Another glorious autumn day. The fall foliage in my community is about at its peak. 

Today my husband and I rode the Pumpkin Train of the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, Indiana. This is a small museum with a gift shop in a small Indiana town that at one time had 4 railroad lines operating through it. It has some rolling stock and throughout certain months of the year it offers weekend rides plus special events such as Easter Train, Santa Train, Ice Cream Train, and Pumpkin Train. The train we rode today was powered by a diesel engine though the steam train was also operating. 

The diesel Pumpkin Train ride was for 45 minutes at an average speed of 10-15 miles per hour. It travels to a viewing point of a bridge over the Kankakee River then reverses course back to North Judson. I hoped for some colorful foliage, but there wasn't anything spectacular. It was a pleasant ride climaxed by kids picking out their very own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch set up by the depot. Of course kids gravitated to the biggest pumpkins only to discover they were too heavy to pick up and carry, ending up with an assist from a parent or being directed to a smaller pumpkin by a parent.

When I booked the reservation, I forgot that there would be a time zone difference. I did realize that shortly after booking so we had no problem. We ate a light breakfast this morning at home, then ate at Christos in Knox around 10 a.m. tummy time, 9 a.m. restaurant time.  Our train ride was at 11 a.m. Central Time. I am glad we allowed lots of time because when we arrived in North Judson some kind of walking event was taking place on Main Street and our GPS kept trying for us to use that road even though it was barricaded off. There was a bit of a delay as we tried various ways to reach the museum. 

We did make it to the depot/museum around 10 a.m. CT. Picked up our tickets and looked around the museum some. Our train had 4 cars: a diesel engine, a coach car, an open-air car, and a first-class car. I paid the $5 extra for first-class. I was not sure what the weather would be like so I wanted to be in an enclosed car. The Monon car (our first-class car) had 12 lounge chairs, a few smaller "bedrooms" with chairs and a dining area. Occupancy was limited to 12. One of the museum volunteers rode along with us telling us some history of the car and of the area. This Monon coach was donated to them last year and refurbished. It has only been out about 6 times. It was for the last few decades a private car that the owner would use with Amtrak. 

I thought our gray and red Monan car was at the end of the train, but when we headed west we were at the front as the diesel engine pushed us. On the way back to the depot, we were pulled and thus we were the last car. 

There were 6 lounge chairs on each side of the aisle facing each other. Nice large picture windows on each side. 

It made for a nice autumn outing.

Bonanza of Birds and A Big Stink

Today I sat in my sunroom to eat lunch. My husband put up the bird feeder again about a week ago. We take it down in the summer as there should be plenty for the birds to eat in nature. While eating, I saw house finches, titmice, a nuthatch, and a chickadee. The birds in the last few days have finally discovered the feeder with its sunflower seeds. I felt happy watching them.

 It has been a beautiful sunny autumn day. The sun coming through the patio door warmed my arms after a chilly morning. I put my fall kitchen towels out today, too. 

I am not a fan of the color orange, but this towel has reddish orange and a kind of russet.

I needed some cheerful things around me because I have been battling a big stink. On September 30th I heated a breakfast sandwich wrapped in a paper towel in my microwave oven. I went to another part of the house for a few minutes. When I came back, there was a terrible burnt smell. As I opened the microwave oven, some smoke came out. The paper towel had a round black charred spot. We have not been able to get rid of this bad smell.

We thoroughly washed the microwave oven surfaces. I nuked a cup of water with lemon juice. For 3 days, I had a container with baking soda inside. The baking soda soon smelled like the oven. I changed the baking soda often but the smell remained. Besides those attempts, the internet suggested changing the charcoal filter on the microwave. The what? It turns out the over-the-range microwave has not only a grease filter, but this charcoal filter. In fine print on the papers left with me when Grace Village bought and installed the appliance, it told me about the filter. I could find nothing about a part number or the size of the filter on those papers nor online at Whirlpool.

 Today the replacement I ordered on Amazon arrived and is too big. I finally contacted the Grace Village maintenance scheduler. She said the guys might have a filter; if not, they could at least measure it so the right one could be ordered. I wish I had just turned it over to them from the beginning.

My little raspberry Renuzit cone fights valiantly to counteract the burnt smell, but as soon as I use the microwave the air blowing out of the vent next to the filter stinks it up again.

Have you ever had a successful way to get rid of an odor like this?

Doud Orchard, Bluebird Cafe

We were looking forward to a little outing just to have a change of scenery. Tomorrow Doud Orchards in Denver Indiana celebrates 130 years of existence (though under new ownership). They are having musicians and food. We had planned to go, but because of the rain coming our way from Hurricane Helene, we decided to go today instead. Gray skies and very windy today, but no rain.

 Lots of corn shocks, pumpkins, mums, Indian corn, gourds for sale besides their apple cider and apples.

They have a vast assortment of apples, many with which I am unfamiliar. I bought two types: Zinger and Rubinette. I also bought some apple butter to eat on biscuits tomorrow with our beef stew.

The apples on the left are the Rubinette; the yellowish ones on the right are the Zinger. Both of these varieties are crisp and sweet though the Zinger has a hint of citrus flavor according to the signs. It will be interesting to try them.

Since Doud Orchards does not open until 11 a.m., we decided to eat lunch at the Bluebird Cafe in Laketon which was enroute. We had eaten breakfast there many years ago.

As you can see, it is a small place with a small-town ambiance. 

Lots of bluebird and bird house knickknacks. I could hear the bacon for my BLT and the patty for my husband's hamburger sizzling in the kitchen area separated from the dining room by a small counter behind the refrigerator. I don't think I would make a special trip to eat here, but as long as we are in the area it is worth a stop.

We drove through lots of Indiana farm country. In the north anyway, there are lots of corn and soybean fields. Not much fall color yet except for the pumpkins and mums on folks' porches.

Fort Wayne Botanical Conservatory

 

This morning we visited the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne. It is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special exhibit of art glass. These larger pieces were made in 2004 by Michael Kahle to celebrate the conservatory's 20th anniversary. They have been in storage since display until this year. After this exhibit ends November 17th, the pieces will be sold to individuals or companies interested in them. I think it would be rather difficult to blow glass pieces so large. In addition to the Kahle pieces, some smaller pieces were purchased this year to put in the exhibit. I actually like the smaller ones better. These newer pieces are blended into the landscape. 

To contribute to the glass theme, there were shards of colorful glass next to some of the pillars and strewn among the gravel paths.

It wouldn't be worth it to me to put bits of glass among the stones. How hard it will be to clean all of those out of the exhibit hall paths. Of course there were flowers as part of the display.

Though I am getting some relief from recently-prescribed Celebrex, I find I still need to sit down every 12-15 minutes so the ramped-up pain can subside. Fortunately, this was a good venue for that as there were plentiful benches in the room. It was pleasant with air circulating throughout the conservatory. The sunshine brought out the best in the glass. 

We lunched at Biaggi's at Jefferson Point followed by shopping at Trader Joe's. I had seen comments about the pumpkin-flavored foods being featured for autumn. Maybe we will get tired of pumpkin; however, I see the expiration date for the soup is December 2025. For that, there is always next year. Bet it won't last in the cupboard that long.

Waiting for Autumn

 

There is a saying, "There are two seasons in the year: waiting for fall and fall." 

This weekend we had autumn-like weather. It will warm up and go back to summer this week, but that hint of fall makes me anxious for the season to arrive. Not too far away now, just 2 weeks on the calendar but of course the weather may decide otherwise.

I will probably put out some autumn decor in another week whether the temperatures feel like autumn or not. Autumn is my favorite season. 

Things are getting busy again. Choir, ladies' Bible study, Winona Literary Club. I will have less free time starting tomorrow.

Are your days busier now, too?

Learned Something New

 When we first got our Google Pixel phones in 2021, there was no way to cast from the phone to a TV. No icon nor setting. It didn't matter because we did not have a smart TV. 

We are in the process of buying a smart TV. My husband thought he would buy a new cell phone so that he could do some casting. We visited Verizon today with the objective of purchasing a new phone for him.

 Fortunately, we started the discussion by mentioning the inability to cast. That is no longer true. As long as the version on the cell phone is Android 8.0 or above, there is a way to cast under connections. His phone is currently Android 13.0. The sales rep just typed in cast under the Search box in settings and the relevant setting popped right up. I had used mirroring on my old Samsung and was looking for that kind of icon. 

We saved money today because we stayed with his old phone. We are all set for our new TV.

Peach Crumble

 Michigan peaches have been in short supply this summer. The crop was damaged back in the spring when warm weather encouraging early growth was followed by nippy frost. 

I found some at Miller's Orchard in Nappanee last Friday. It took a few days for them to ripen and soften. Today I made peach crumble.

 This recipe comes from the blog of Chris Scheuer. She uses almond flour along with all-purpose flour in this dish, but she mentions that you can use all-purpose flour for all of the amount. I did that. I added about 1/2 teaspoon almond extract because she said the almond flavor was so nice with the peaches. I think I would use a little less lemon zest next time; or maybe just add a bit more sugar. Enjoying the flavors of summer.

Fresh Peach Crumble

Servings 8

Ingredients:

Fruit Layer:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

8 medium peaches pitted and sliced (peeling left on)

finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup almond flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.

2. Place peaches in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and lemon zest. Combine flour and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the peaches. Stir gently to distribute the flour.

3. Place butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high power for 1 minute.

4. Add the topping all-purpose flour and sugar to the melted butter. Stir with a fork until crumbles form. Take handfuls of the topping and sprinkle over the peaches. Place pan on prepared sheet pan.

5. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until topping is light golden brown and peaches are bubbly. Check at 40 minutes and cover with foil if the topping is getting too brown but the peaches are still not bubbly.

We ate ours with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while the crumble was slightly warm.

Pickles Cafe

 We ate breakfast yesterday (Friday) in Columbia City at Pickles Cafe.

It is located across from the county courthouse. On Saturdays there is a farmers market around that building; we will go back in the fall to shop. Probably we will eat breakfast at Pickles also. It is about a 25- minute drive for us.

The decor is hodgepodge. My husband commented that except for the metal window counter stools, there were no two chairs alike in the cafe. The dishes, silverware, and mugs are also an assortment. 

We had been here previously for lunch, but this was the first time for breakfast. The hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. except currently on Wednesdays they reopen for dinner. They are closed on Sundays.

There are specials on a blackboard. The back side of the menu also lists different omelets. Notice the gimmick of pickles coming with your meal. Not the kind of pickles I like and very strange with French toast casserole. The casserole changes periodically. Right now, it has blueberries, strawberries, a few blackberries.

My husband ordered Morning Mingle which came with biscuits with gravy and a portion of the French toast casserole. The gravy had lots of chunks of meat, but he said it was too thick. 

It was a cool morning or we might have sat outside since the streets were not yet busy at 8 a.m.